This invention relates to a device which facilitates attachment of ornaments to automotive wheels. The growth of interest and value to vintage and classic automobiles, especially sports and touring automobiles, has led to an increasing interest and market for automotive products which provide the classic look of, and retain the distinctive features of, these automobiles.
An area of keen interest has been the wheel style and particularly the "knock-off" style wheel used in racing, sports, and touring cars. The use of a single center "knock-off" hub nut significantly reduces the time required to remove and replace the wheel, an important factor in races and rallies. However, the "knock-off" hub is less reliable than the use of a number of wheel lugs and nuts used in conventional automotive wheels, especially for the motoring public which is unaware of the potential hazards of the "knock-off" wheels.
Many unfortunate accidents have occurred utilizing these wheels, especially by owners and drivers less experienced in automotive performance equipment and its maintenance. The center "knock-off" locking hub has become loose and come off during driving resulting in loss of control of the vehicle. Conventionally attached wheels, utilizing several lugs and nuts to attach the wheel to the brake assembly, offer additional warning and backup if one of the fasteners becomes loosened or fails.
For the general driving public, this situation has resulted in incorporating a number of devices including attaching devices or adaptor hubs and wheel ornaments to simulate the look of the "knock-off" wheel design on conventionally attached wheels. However, most of these devices suffer from being less than realistic in appearance. Other devices have adaptor hubs which utilize the wheel lugs or bolts to attach the adaptor to the wheel, requiring the removal of the lugs or bolts to remove the adaptor hub. U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,002 to Simpson and U.S. Pat. No. 3,170,733 to Lamme are examples of devices which require removal of the wheel lug nuts to remove the adaptor hub.
A particular need is in the case of the 1963 to 1966 Corvette whose owners wish to use the later conventionally attached wheels for safety yet retain the classic appearance of the "knock-off" wheel. Although the brake assemblies of the 1963 to 1966 Corvettes were supplied with conventional wheel lugs, the manufacturer supplied conversion hubs which bolted to the wheel lugs and allowed use of a competition wheel which could be attached with a "knock-off" locking hub. Later a wheel was supplied with lug holes so the wheel would be attached in the conventional manner without the conversion hub. Although the wheel was supplied with an attachment method for a hubcap to cover the center of the wheel, the hubcap lost the aesthetic appeal of the "knock-off" method. Therefore, owners of this valuable collectors automobile must choose between utilizing a wheel attachment method which is intended for competition and may introduce risks for unexperienced owners, or use a safer conventional attachment means which is aesthetically unpleasant and lowers the value of the automobile.